Reporting a Vehicle Accident

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Accidents and collisions will happen. If an accident happens while driving on University business, follow the steps below. If it happens while driving on University business in a University-owned vehicle, a packet containing all the information you need will be in the glove box of the vehicle in an envelope labeled “What to do in case of accident.” If there is no packet located in the glove box, directions for getting one can be found below.

Report an accident to the risk manager as soon as possible - preferably the same day, but no more than 24 hours from the time of the accident!

In case of an accident:

Say nothing regarding the accident, except to the police, other state officers or employees, or an identified representative of the state’s contract adjuster.

Call the police or 911, especially in the event of an injury accident.

Report it to the risk manager as soon as possible - preferably the same day, but no more than 24 hours from the time of the accident! Accidents that occur on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday must be reported the following Monday, except as qualified below in Step 7. Preliminary reports are to be reported by phone to the risk manager. If there is no answer, leave a message with your name, department, phone number where you can be reached, and a brief description of the accident.

The supervisor of the driver will take the following actions: Investigate each accident promptly and thoroughly. The immediate supervisor who authorized the employee to drive on University business will ensure that the employee completes the STD 270 or will do it for them if the employee is unable to do so. Inform ORIM and the risk manager when an employee is unable to complete forms. Initiate appropriate corrective actions and record them in departmental personnel records. Complete State Driver Accident Review – Supervisor’s Review form STD 274 and send it to the risk manager within five (5) days.

Any accident that results in any of the following conditions must be reported to the risk manager, a member of the Environmental Health and Safety staff (916-278-5477/5174) or Human Resources (916-278-3522) within eight (8) hours:

death

a disfiguring injury

a dismembering injury (loss of any body part)

hospitalization of the University employee for 24 hours or more for other than observation

What to do in case of accident

For your convenience, we have en electronic package of forms for state/University owned vehicles or individuals renting vehicles through an approved agency to print and place in your vehicles. The package includes the procedures, STD 270 Vehicle Accident Report, Report of Incident or Accident, STD 274 State Driver Accident Review, and STD 269 Accident Identification.

Emergency Roadside Service

Offered by the Office of Fleet & Asset Management (OFAM), this 24-hour state wide roadside service is only provided for state/University owned vehicles (will say "CA Exempt" on license plate). Breakdowns on public streets, on a highway, or in a public parking garage in California are eligible to use this service. For more information, click on "Emergency Roadside Service" on OFAM's Fleet Operations' webpage.

The CHP Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) offers some roadside assistance on freeways only for ALL vehicles. The purpose of this service is to get you and your vehicle off the shoulder and out of the way of a potentially deadly outcome. It’s a free service and only available in certain areas of California. They offer a gallon of gas, jump starts, refill of radiators, tape hoses, and change flats. If the vehicle cannot get going, then they can tow you to a CHP-approved location, or notify an auto club or towing service for you. The phone number to determine eligibility of location and request service is 1-800-TELLCHP or 1-800-835-5247.